Howard Dean has just told an audience in Tallahassee that Southerners should stop basing their votes on “race, guns, God and gays,” thus calling to mind the similar Republican charge against the Democrats in the 1880s — that it was the party of “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion.” Dodd Harris of Ipse Dixit wonders “what he would have us base our votes on instead? And are there any other matters he considers illegitimate?”
Dean says “he hopes to reassemble a coalition of conservative southern voters like President Franklin Roosevelt had in the ‘solid South’ 70 years ago.” Someone should probably tell Gov. Dean (he must have a large number of American historians on call) that a large swath of Roosevelt’s Southern supporters (think of Hugo Black) were anything but conservative.
Actually, I find the Democrats’ implosion over Dean’s fumbling effort to reach out to the good ol’ boys in their pickup trucks to be quite revealing. They are devouring themselves over an unusually symbolic form of cultural politics. Cultural politics is always symbolic in part, but the current crop of Democrats have taken it to new depths.
Let us assume for the sake of argument something that is manifestly not true — that the driver of every vehicle with a Confederate flag on it is a raving racist. If Al Sharpton were right and Dean were appealing to that constituency by pushing an “anti-black agenda,” that would be a cause for concern and criticism. But where and what is the “anti-black agenda”? Actually, Dean has committed a crime that in liberal circles these days is worse than advocating bad policies. He has been “insensitive” by appealing for the votes of people who probably agree with him about nothing, except perhaps that it was considerate of him to ask for their votes. The other lemming-like candidates then engaged in a frenzied competition to see who could say the worst things about Confederate flags.
The irony of these super-sensitive paragons rushing to denounce Dean for appealing for white Southern votes even though their number included Al Sharpton, whom they all treat as a serious and legitimate Democrat, was not lost on many observers of this spectacle. Indeed, perhaps the saddest aspect of all this is that Sharpton is a serious and legitimate Democrat.
Dean’s comment about basing votes on “race, guns, God and gays” is just too rich. The Demos are in an absolute thrall to all four.
How many race pimps can one identify as members of the Republican Party? Or did I somehow miss the news that Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Cynthia McKinney and the entire board of directors of the NAACP had registered as Republicans? As for history, the Democrats are the party of Jim Crow. They have been making hay on race hatred for over 150 years.
Guns? That was not an issue to Republicans until Democrats started trying to rewrite the Constitution. Historically, it is hard to think of men more dedicated to the private ownership of firearms that Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, de facto founders of the Democratic Party. And how many thousands of former Democrats now vote Republican because of the former’s anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment stances?
God? Used to be everyone was in general agreement about God, or at least the societal benefit of acknowledging a higher authority beyond the end of a one’s nose. Then, along came liberal Supreme Court justices, the ACLU, et al., and made the idea of God an issue. Now the Pledge of Alligence is controversial! Why so? I don’t see any Republican fingerprints anywhere.
And last, but not least, gays. I am trying in vain to think of one Republican running on an anti-gay platform. I am trying in vain to think of one college Republican outfit that has held anti-gay rallies.
Howard Dean in his own arrogant parochialism is every bit the rube that he implies is easily found in the South. As have many physicians I have known in 23 years of being a healthcare attorney, he equates his years in medical school, residency, etc., with the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom. But bless his little bombastic, ignorant and delusional heart; as a Republican I must acknowledge that the Republican National Committee could not have designed a candidate more likely to benefit the Republican Party than Howard Dean, with the possible exception of Wesley Clark.
Well, got to go. Need to clean my shotgun, put it in the gun rack in the pickup’s back window next to my Confederate Flag, KKK hood and plastic Jesus, and get ready for a fun evening of taking pot shots at guys who swish when they walk and lisp when they talk.
To hell with lower taxes, national security, smaller government and personal responsibility. Being a real Republican is way more fun than having to think too deeply about anything important, having to act sober and responsible and having to care about the welfare of others.
“Howard Dean has just told an audience in Tallahassee that Southerners should – ”
Stop right there. Can’t nobody tell us Southerners what we should or shouldn’t do. Especially a Yankee. He can probably write off the Southern white vote right now.
Laura,
Then I guess you’ve heard the one about Yankees and hemorroids…..
No, Claire, but I can guess the punchline right now.
Isn’t there a saying that goes something like this: When you find yourself in a deep hole, it is best to stop digging.
First Dean refused to admit that, in his pandering for Southern votes, his Confederate flag remark was patently stupid. Now he compounds his stupidity by insulting the very group who votes he wants. Keep it up Howard. Bush will send you a thank you card after the next election.